Latch



Nov. 19, 1935. A, J. HARRIS 2,021,549

LATCH Filed May 1o, 1935 Snventor Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LATCH Alfred J. Harris, Halton County, Ontario, Canada Application May 10, 1935, Serial No. 20,750

2 Claims. (Cl. 292-67) This invention relates to improvements in latches and more particularly latches for farm and stable doors and gates for swine inclosures, and consists essentially of a vertically movable swivel bar slidingly mounted on the door jamb or gate post and having top and bottom latching arms adapted to rest in latched position in respective cradles on said jamb or post and in channelled keepers on the door or gate.

1o One important object of the invention is to provide a swine proof latch for hinged closures of animal pens, stables, barns, yards and the like.

Another important object is to provide a device of the class specified which combines both an upper and lower commonly operated latching element.

A third important object is to provide a device of the kind described which will be simple, durable, effective, and inexpensive to produce.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying ldrawing and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an animal proof compound latch constructed in accordance with this invention and shown in closed or latched position;

Figure 2 is a similar view, but illustrating the latch in open or unlatched position;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed elevation of one of the arm cradles; and

Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. f

Stockmen are. troubled with penned animals, and particularly swine, dislodging the latches of doors and gates with which the latter are ordinarily equipped, and it is consequently for the purpose of obviating that nuisance that the present invention has been devised, keeping in mind, however, the essential consistency of simplicity of operation and fabrication, ydurability and cheapness.

On the drawing the invention is shown in connection with the lower section I6 of a Dutch door, common in many livestock buildings, although it is of course understood that with minor and unimportant changes it may be applied to other types of doors and'also to wooden and metal gates. In the instance of application to gates, the door jarnb` I I and door stop I2 on the drawing would obviously represent the gate post and gate stop,A respectively, and similarly the 5 door would represent the gate.

In its present embodiment the invention consists of the vertically movable swivel bar I4 having its end parts bent at right angles to form topl and bottom parallel latching arms I5 and I6 l0 respectively. The top arm I5 is preferably eX- tended and bent or looped to form a latch manipulation handle I1.

The upper end of the bar I4 close to the arm I 5 extends freely through a vertical opening I8 in 15 the bottom of a cradle I9 which is U shaped in cross-section and which forms part of a back plate l20 secured to a lateral face of the jamb II. This apertured cradle forms an upper bearing for the bar so it can be reciprocally and axially 20 swivelled.

The lower end of the bar is journalled in a loop or eye 2| on a back plate 22 which is similarly mounted on the jamb II and at the bottom of which is formed cradle 23, U shaped in cross- 25 section.

These cradles support the arms I5 and I6 in either of two opposite positions of the compound latch as well as properly limiting the downward movement of the bar I4. 30

In order to alternate the position of the arms I5 and I6 the bar must be rst elevated manually by means of the handle Il and then swivelled so that the arms pass above the outer terminations or lips 24 and 25, respectively?, of the 35 cradles.

The lips 24 and 25 are tapered downwardly in opposite directions so that whichever side of the apices the arms engage when the bar is released from its manually elevated position they will 40 fall to rest in their respective cradles in corresponding direction.

On 4door I0 in registry with the cradle I9 is a channelled keeper 26 which is U shaped in crosssection to correspond therewith, and similarly 45 in registry with the cradle 23 is a like channelled keeper 21. In this instance the said keepers are shown as attached to cross pieces I0 of the door. These keepers receive the arms I5 and I6 when the latch is in closed or locked posi- 50 tion, thus preventing the door from being swung, and it will be observed that with the exception of the narrow interval between the cradle 23 and the keeper 2l which equals the space between the door and door jamb the entire arm l5 is 55 wholly protected against dislodgment by the snouts of swine.

There has thus been provided a simple and ecient device of the kind ydescribed and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, therefore, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. In a latch, a vertically movable bar, top and bottom parallel latching arms on said bar having selective latching and non-latching positions, open ended horizontal channel like cradles for the support of said arms in either of said positions and opening upwardly for the reception of said arms in either of said positions, said cradle for the support of the top said arm having a bottom opening for the passage through of said bar, one lip of each said cradle being tapered downwardly from the middle in opposite directions, said cradles acting to form guards for said arms against unauthorized upward thrust.

2. In a latch, a vertically movable bar, top and bottom parallel latching arms on said bar having selective latching and non-latching positions, open ended horizontal channel like cradles for the support of said arms in either of said positions and opening upwardly for the reception of said arms in either of said positions, said cradle for the support of the top said arm having a bottom opening for the passage through of said bar, said cradles acting to form guards for said arms against unauthorized upward thrust. 

